Loving Her
by Calie1
Summary: Oliver contemplates his love for Chloe. Takes place after their first scene in Salvation, after Oliver end their video feed. Spoilers for Season 10 and Salvation.


"Over and out." He clicked end, and stared at the screen for a few brief moments, no thoughts running through his head. Then it all caught up with him. With a sigh of annoyance he planted his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands.

"Protect the database." He whispered and shook his head. Chloe had to be crazy, or just oblivious.

Of course there wasn't much more to be said for himself. Over a video feed he stumbled over his words, almost revealing to her that he loved her. It wasn't exactly the most romantic way to say it. Of course he didn't foresee the moment being romantic at all. While Chloe had moved on past the assumption that they were still just friends having fun, he didn't foresee her being where he was, pining. And that was exactly where he was.

In the beginning it had been fun, it had felt good, being with her, not having to hide anything, having her understanding. Then slowly things had progressed, more specifically when Checkmate took her. They hadn't just taken her, they had taken a piece of him. When Tess had revealed Chloe had been taken he'd felt a piece of himself rip away in that moment.

It was around that that that it changed. Most relationships, you pine after the person in the beginning. Oh he wanted her from the start. Chloe though, he suspected that before that moment in the watchtower when he let her shoot his bow she'd never once considered him. But he'd been considering her, for a while. That hadn't bothered him. The attraction, the want, the way being around her made him feel good. Oliver recognized now it was something more, but at the time he had easily believed that it didn't have to be more with her, it could just feel good. So he'd gone in without a doubt in the world that she would see things from his point of view. And she had.

Except now he was scared, now it did bother him. Because he loved her, and he felt like a man looking in. Oliver wanted Chloe to love him.

With a groan he leaned back, propping his head back onto the chair and closing his eyes. The entire jet ride had been miserable. The anxiousness of the coming fight working on his nerves, leaving him pacing the small cabin.

Now, not only did he have to entertain thoughts of world domination, but a woman who wouldn't love him back.

It was fitting he supposed, if he believed in karma. There had been so many woman that he had left in the dust, blown off, used. Tess and Lois made it to that top of that list, but even they had never held that place in his heart, that place that would make him want to utter those three little words. But Chloe, she had wormed her way in there, without himself or her even realizing it. So many of them had wanted him to settle down, commit, but he either couldn't or wouldn't. Chloe though, she wanted none of that. She didn't want the commitment or the promises or his love, and all he wanted to do was give it to her. He'd give her anything. For christ sake, he bought the woman a satellite.

That didn't mean that it wouldn't keep the rest of the team safe and be of use to them, but Chloe, she would appreciate it the most, and that had been forefront in his mind.

What kind of man bought a woman a satellite to impress her?

He'd wait her out. If anything she seemed to be warming up to the idea of him more and more. The resistance to stay the night disappeared long ago. When he wanted to make her dinner, she didn't fight him. When he showed up with coffee for her, she stopped giving him that speculative look. The nights where she curled up on his sofa with him were becoming more and more often.

Yea, Chloe was getting there, unfortunately it was taking a lot longer then it had taken him.

So he would wait. Then maybe when the time was right he'd tell her, hope he didn't have to beg her not to run, and just make her understand that she didn't have to love him yet, he was fine with that. But he believed she could, if she would just give herself the chance, because he was right for her, he couldn't imagine there being anyone else in her life.

And it wasn't just her reaction that scared him. It was his own feelings that scared him too. Oliver had years before Chloe to love another, anyone. Not many people can get as old as him and say they never loved anyone, but he could. Oliver could honestly say that besides his parents, he'd loved no one.

Now here was Chloe, the only person in the world that held his heart. It scared him to know what that meant for him and his future. Oliver didn't usually put the cart before the horse, but he guarded his heart well, and if he was giving it to her, he couldn't imagine there being anyone else in his life. Ever.


End file.
